A weighty issue

[graceanne]

My family had a typical home-cooked Southern-food diet. Bacon and eggs with toast in the morning, pancakes, sandwiches for lunch with salad and fruit and milk...dinner was BBQ, roast, grilled chicken, with corn on the cob, macaroni salad, etc etc etc. Meat and potatoes kind of food. Stuff that makes people fat unless you work out on a farm for 12 hours a day. =P And honestly, a lot of my family DID when they were younger, that's what their moms made for the sake of loading them with calories and it was cheap to boot. So they grew up eating it, they cooked it for us kids, and it goes down the generational chain.

I ate beef as a kid but remember quite clearly around puberty-time I started hurling after eating it. It's gradually gotten worse as I've gotten older, like the longer I go without it the worse my little 'allergy' or whatever it is gets. It used to be just stomach aches, nausea, severe fatigue...but it's gotten to the point now where I'll VIOLENTLY vomit, repeatedly, over the course of a 24-or-so hour period after eating it until I'm just dry-heaving and I don't even have bile left. It's awful!

I don't know if I just can't digest it or what, but I just stay away from it now. At this point it's been so long I rarely miss it. Since I've gotten pregnant I've had some serious cravings, but it's not worth the time spent praying over the toilet for God to just kill me now.

My sister is like that with pork. She used to be able to eat it, but now she can't. Although with her it gives her the runs IMMEDIATELY. Within minutes she's on the toilet, poor baby.

Honestly, it probably has to do with meat being difficult to digest. I don't eat much meat, period, because it doesn't go through me well. But, then, most foods don't. Which is why I eat so little.

 

[MisterSir]

When I first started buying cigarettes:

There were only premium brands;
A pack cost $0.25 in a civilian store, $0.11 in a base exchange (PX/BX);
A carton cost $2.40 civilian, $1.05 PX/BX;
There were no Surgeon General's warnings on the packs.

25 cents? Fuck me. At that price, I'd START smoking.

Incidentally, the only times I've ever been ill as a result of something I've eaten is when I've had duck. I have no idea what makes it different from any other meat, and it's irritating because dammit it was tasty.

 

[graceanne]

25 cents? Fuck me. At that price, I'd START smoking.

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h284/graceanne1978/shouldahadav8128510531556875000.jpg

 

[Sir_Winston54]

25 cents? Fuck me. At that price, I'd START smoking.

Got to remember, though, that a gallon of gasoline cost about that at that time, too - except when they had gas wars and the price could drop to half that. Inflation, ya know?

 

[nh23]

Aldi is the low-cost arm of Trader Joe's. The quality I've heard is here and there, but a lot of TJ's goods are the same as Aldi only relabeled and sold to yuppies for more $$$ - bulk and nuts for the most part.

Ah, ok.

http://www.linear-software.com/online.html

I've used this one before. Scroll down to the one for women,a nd use the "tape measure" method. All you'll need is a regular tape measure of the sort a seamstress would use. Lacking that, you can use a piece of string and a regular measuring tape.

This will not give you a totally accurate result. Calipers are a better method, and the various displacement style tools are even better. But this is better than nothing. Once you have your bodyfat percentage, just multiply it by your total weight to see what the poundage is. Subtract that from your total and you have your lean muscle mass.

You'll probably find that the super-diet pages will produce absurdly low numbers for caloric intake at that point.

Here's an alternative that doesn't use bodyfat or LMM, but is still well-respected in the areas I read.

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

Fill it out, see what it says, then click the equation that talks about finding specific caloric needs.

I'm a fan of bodyfat percentage when dealing with people what carry muscle, as it gives a better picture of body composition than the scale alone. Using bodyfat % and your tape measure, you can produce much more precise metrics than looking at poundage alone.

--

Thank you! I'll have Master get out the measuring tape.

 

[Homburg]

Thank you! I'll have Master get out the measuring tape.

Good luck, darlin. Measuring with a tape is a more reliable way all around, especially if you are doing resistance training (weights), which I hope you've considered. Lifting is a fantastic way to kickstart your metabolism

 

[WriterDom]

Girls rarely push themselves in my gym. This one lady is very regular as far as going but has done 10 or 20 pounds on the machines for 5 years now. If you see a really fit girl chances are she busts her ass with the weights. A woman won't get big if she is all natural. They just get tight.

 

[FurryFury]

Girls rarely push themselves in my gym. This one lady is very regular as far as going but has done 10 or 20 pounds on the machines for 5 years now. If you see a really fit girl chances are she busts her ass with the weights. A woman won't get big if she is all natural. They just get tight.

What a lazy bitch!

 

[satindesire]

What a lazy bitch!

*chuckle*

 

[popcorn2721]

Honestly, take a look at Americans' work habits and stack those up against the rest of the industrial world. *that* is why we're more obesity prone.

The worker is being fried longer and harder, every dime being squeezed. You find people with breakneck schedules reserved once for only emergency medical help and upper management doing the least critical of jobs. And vacation, ha. Recharging the batteries never happens.

I like to cook. I know how to cook. I have access to good food and no kids to pick up after school.

Ask me how motivated I am when M gets home at 1 am and Taco Bell is still open, to do the right thing. And I bet I do the right thing a higher percentage of the time than most people.

I totally got fried from my work today (today would have been a good day to get fried at work but I don't do drugs anymore)... 12.5 hours later... I have the next 3 days off. Normally my days off are split and I have to schedule days off weeks ahead. Would you believe that a few someones somehow managed to at least try to fuck that up too? Between our work schedules having to pick kids up and their sports... it makes McDogfood look pretty good. Yeah, Mrs Popcorn and I are both a wee bit thicker than we were when we met.
FuckitImtired

 

[Kikori]

I like to look at what fat people buy at the grocery store. I see sodas, ding dongs, twinkies, marshmallows, ice cream, chicken nuggets, pork chops, slim Jims, Jelly filled donuts, fudge, bacon, Captain Crunch, butterfingers, fatback, pizza, hot dogs, and mac and cheese. And this is pretty much the rule not the exception.

I actually ring up what fat people buy, or bag it. More often than not, they only have sodas, ice cream, pork chips, bacon, some other form of cereal, a couple pizzas, hot dogs, and mac and cheese out of that, but just as often, you see the fat person's kids with them, so hell if those items are secluded to mommy and daddy alone.

And hypo-calorie diets make you feel like utter and complete shit, so exercise (which is what REALLY boosts your metabolism) is pretty much out of the question.

Ok, here's a thought of mine about how we can improve overall health. It could be totally wrong. But since my PCOS diagnosis, I have done a LOT of my own personal research about metabolism, how it works, etc.

All people who have been overweight for any length of time are insulin resistant, but not necessarily diabetic. Insulin resistance cause blood sugar to skyrocket and then bottom out, which fucks up your metabolism and MAKES YOU FATTER. So if you're trying in vain to lose weight and not getting anywhere, this is most likely the reason. There are several tell-tale signs, but I won't get into that.

There are, however, things that can be done to minimize insulin resistance, chiefly eating foods that are low on the glycemic index (GI) scale. Most people will say, "Don't eat sugar." Well, that's all well and good, but there are tons of food that are touted as "healthy" when, in fact, they're almost as high on the GI scale as sugar.

I think educating people on the effect that certain foods have on their blood sugar and what that does to their bodies would help tremendously.

I've not heard of this GI scale. I'll have to look into it. o:

 

[WriterDom]

South Beach is based on the glycemic index. About the worst thing you can eat is a potato. And THEN put butter, sour cream, and bacon bits on it.

 

[the captians wench]

South Beach is based on the glycemic index. About the worst thing you can eat is a potato. And THEN put butter, sour cream, and bacon bits on it.

I haven't looked into it myself, but I've been told that South Beach and Attkins are both loosely baced on the hypoglycemic diet, which is what I have to follow for my sugar.

High protien, low to nill carbs. Then I eat something about every 2 hours, it's more common to eat every 4 hours, but it's based on need. The object for me is to keep my sugar as level as possible and avoid a lot of peaks and vallies.

 

[WriterDom]

I haven't looked into it myself, but I've been told that South Beach and Attkins are both loosely baced on the hypoglycemic diet, which is what I have to follow for my sugar.

High protien, low to nill carbs. Then I eat something about every 2 hours, it's more common to eat every 4 hours, but it's based on need. The object for me is to keep my sugar as level as possible and avoid a lot of peaks and vallies.

Atkins is a lot more restrictive. On South Beach you can eat all the carbs you want as long as they are good carbs. And you have to eat lean meats on South Beach like chicken and fish.

 

[Netzach]

I actually ring up what fat people buy, or bag it. More often than not, they only have sodas, ice cream, pork chips, bacon, some other form of cereal, a couple pizzas, hot dogs, and mac and cheese out of that, but just as often, you see the fat person's kids with them, so hell if those items are secluded to mommy and daddy alone.

M and I are both pudgier than we'd like. Our grocery basket is beyond reproach.

The issue we run into is that pizza and beer becomes tonic for overworked stress come Wednesday and Thai food again on Friday night.

If you locked us in for a month, we'd lose weight. I don't keep shit in the house at all.

 

[Kikori]

I said "more often than not", since there are exceptions in both the worse and better directions.
But, now that I see it, where was a typo. I used "and" instead of "or" in my list.

 

[WriterDom]

M and I are both pudgier than we'd like. Our grocery basket is beyond reproach.

The issue we run into is that pizza and beer becomes tonic for overworked stress come Wednesday and Thai food again on Friday night.

If you locked us in for a month, we'd lose weight. I don't keep shit in the house at all.

Just remember you are getting older. The older you get the more you have to fight back.

I think it's fine to eat for entertainment. I do it once in a while even when I'm actively trying to lose weight. It's a reward thing and something I plan in advance. I should be due for one next weekend. I'm not sure what I want yet.

Well, I know exactly what I want. Pussy!

 

[mickwannabe]

Just to throw my 2 cents in, the thing that scientifically works is to eat fewer calories than you burn. Your body burns calories each & every day by doing everything...some activities require more calories than others. Doing the dishes by hand is something like 50 calories...going for a brisk walk for 20 minutes is around 150 calories, etc. As long as you eat fewer calories than you burn you will lose weight.

I know that it is not exactly always that simple for everyone, but it can be. Google calorie calculators and see how many you are eating vs. how many you are burning. I know that some diet-pushers say you should only eat protein (no carbs) or only "good" carbs (South Beach), but in the end that is only at best limiting the amount of calories you are eating, just in a different manner.

Pm me if you have questions or would like to flame me for not making sense Have an active day Lit-folks!

 

[mickwannabe]

Atkins is a lot more restrictive. On South Beach you can eat all the carbs you want as long as they are good carbs. And you have to eat lean meats on South Beach like chicken and fish.

The problem with obesity isn't only that the person is eating "bad" carbs (simple sugars, refined/processed flour, etc" it's that the person is eating TOO MUCH of it.

I'm going to vent a lil here and feel free to skim over this if you'd like. For the remainder of my post I will refer to "bad" carbs as simple because that is chemically what they are. I will refer to "good" carbs as complex, because again that is what they are.

This is why South Beach causes weight loss: the diet forces people to eliminate simple carbohydrates and limits fat intake. Why is this good? This is not as easy as "well carbs are bad". The reason simple carbohydrates are not as desirable is because they are usually found in abundance within foods causing a spike in the caloric values of those foods. Those hidden calories come back to bite us on our big round asses.

Why are complex carbohydrates more desirable? Complex carbohydrates are found in whole grains with fiber. 1) complex carbs chemically are a longer (more complex) chain of carbons with hydrogens, therefore taking the body longer to digest and provides protein 2) the fiber ingested with complex carbs actually fills you up and reduces appetite. So not only do the complex carbs give you more nutrition for your caloric "bang", but they also help you feel satisfied much faster than simple carbohydrates do. Limiting the fat intake is a no-brainer for being a good thing. Fatty acid chains provide 9 calories per gram, much higher than the 3 calories per gram in carbohydrates.

I know this post was long and unwarranted, but hey, that's what online bulletin boards are for

 

[graceanne]

I haven't looked into it myself, but I've been told that South Beach and Attkins are both loosely baced on the hypoglycemic diet, which is what I have to follow for my sugar.

High protien, low to nill carbs. Then I eat something about every 2 hours, it's more common to eat every 4 hours, but it's based on need. The object for me is to keep my sugar as level as possible and avoid a lot of peaks and vallies.

That's why I can't do either of those diets. With my diet most meats and proteins are not allowed (no red meat, no nuts or seeds, no organ meat, nothing fatty, etc). I tried to do atkins once, and there was nothing I could and would eat.

M and I are both pudgier than we'd like. Our grocery basket is beyond reproach.

The issue we run into is that pizza and beer becomes tonic for overworked stress come Wednesday and Thai food again on Friday night.

If you locked us in for a month, we'd lose weight. I don't keep shit in the house at all.

Maybe if you planned it. You know you're going to need a tonic on Wednesday - so plan for it. Instead of ordering pizza in, get a frozen meal or a healthier pizza from the grocery store and plan on having it, etc. It'll still be a splurge, but a better one than order in.

 

[graceanne]

The problem with obesity isn't only that the person is eating "bad" carbs (simple sugars, refined/processed flour, etc" it's that the person is eating TOO MUCH of

I'm assuming you haven't read the rest of this thread.



Not everyone who's overweight eats too much. Some of us have health problems and/or have been on steroids for health problems and that's why we're overweight. There are many many medications that can cause weight gain. I eat around 500 to 1000 calories a day, and I'm about 100 lbs overweight.

 

[mickwannabe]

I'm assuming you haven't read the rest of this thread.



Not everyone who's overweight eats too much. Some of us have health problems and/or have been on steroids for health problems and that's why we're overweight. There are many many medications that can cause weight gain. I eat around 500 to 1000 calories a day, and I'm about 100 lbs overweight.

Yes I did read the whole thread and what I meant to refer to wasn't the ONLY cause of obesity. A better choice of words for what I was trying to get across would have been in reference to why a majority of people are obese and turn to diets like South Beach & Atkins.

I was not trying to make a generalization of the causes of obesity, but I can see how what I wrote came off that way and I'm sorry. Not my intention.

Originally I had quoted what WriterDom had written which was " On South Beach you can eat all the carbs you want as long as they are good carbs". I edited my post and removed that so I didn't get flamed. My post was more aimed at that, not all encompassing causes of obesity. Sorry again for the confusion

 

[Homburg]

Just to throw my 2 cents in, the thing that scientifically works is to eat fewer calories than you burn. Your body burns calories each & every day by doing everything...some activities require more calories than others. Doing the dishes by hand is something like 50 calories...going for a brisk walk for 20 minutes is around 150 calories, etc. As long as you eat fewer calories than you burn you will lose weight.

I know that it is not exactly always that simple for everyone, but it can be. Google calorie calculators and see how many you are eating vs. how many you are burning. I know that some diet-pushers say you should only eat protein (no carbs) or only "good" carbs (South Beach), but in the end that is only at best limiting the amount of calories you are eating, just in a different manner.

Pm me if you have questions or would like to flame me for not making sense Have an active day Lit-folks!

This is a gross oversimplification. If you are overweight and insulin resistant already, eating less than you basal metabolic rate will just cause the body to go into starvation mode. The only "weight" lost will be muscle as the body cannibalises the proteins it needs for survival.

"Eat less than you burn" works with an active, insulin-friendly populace. Not so much with the basically sedentary insulin-resistant internet generation.

And the idea that "a calorie is a calorie is a calorie" works only if you are eating a "normal" diet. If you want an extreme example, I'll eat 3000 kcals of mixed veggies, good proteins, and GI-friendly carbs, and you eat 3000 kcals (or whatever your cal needs are) of tootsie rolls and pixie sticks. See which one of us is healthier in two months.

Yes, Atkins is basically glorified calorie restriction by ditching carbs, but it also sets up a ketogenic state when done heavily. It is arguable as to whether this is good for you or not, but it is more of an effect than "a calorie is a calorie is a calorie". South Beach works because of the prevalence of good GI choices. It prevents insulin spikes by avoiding the foods that cause them. Again, it's not just a calorie.

I'm not flaming you. Just trying to make the point that oversimplification is not always a great idea. Better to expand what you are saying and include the idea that all foods are not created equal. I remember when viv was doing Weight Watchers and gaming the points so she could still have cokes and pastries by skipping breakfast and scrimping on lunch.

ETA: I see that you edited. Rock on. I will leave my post as-is though. The information is still useful enough.

 

[graceanne]

Yes I did read the whole thread and what I meant to refer to wasn't the ONLY cause of obesity. A better choice of words for what I was trying to get across would have been in reference to why a majority of people are obese and turn to diets like South Beach & Atkins.

I was not trying to make a generalization of the causes of obesity, but I can see how what I wrote came off that way and I'm sorry. Not my intention.

Originally I had quoted what WriterDom had written which was " On South Beach you can eat all the carbs you want as long as they are good carbs". I edited my post and removed that so I didn't get flamed. My post was more aimed at that, not all encompassing causes of obesity. Sorry again for the confusion

Oh, ok. I can agree with that - that you can't ever eat all the carbs you want. But you can't eat all the protein you want, either. You still need to keep your caloric intake in between certain numbers.

 

[Homburg]

That's why I can't do either of those diets. With my diet most meats and proteins are not allowed (no red meat, no nuts or seeds, no organ meat, nothing fatty, etc). I tried to do atkins once, and there was nothing I could and would eat.

I did Atkins for a while, and have gone back to numerous times. Honestly, I dislike it intensely as written, and always had to modify it. It seems like every frikken Atkins recipe in creation had "5 tablespoons of mayonnaise" in the ingredients, and no reason for it. I get the idea that excess fat intake is not necessarily bad when you've modified your insulin cycle, but, fuck, is there a reason to load extra, useless, non-nutritive calories in there?

I am slowly playing with food, and trying to figure out what really works for me. I've cracked a couple of things (like how to properly recover from heavy lift days), and know certain foods that I should avoid. Other stuff I'm still working on. The big thing I need to do is up my activity level, and that's just a wee bit difficult considering my current workload.

I did manage to get some time on the bike on thursday though, wheee.